Some thoughts on reading Agatha Christie

The body in the library (2023)

One new author that I read a lot of (mostly last year) and enjoyed was Agatha Christie so I thought I make a list about that. This list is mostly based on reading 12 Miss Marple novels, 1 Miss Marple short story collection, 33 Hercule Poirot novels, 1 Hercule Poirot short story collection, 4 Superintendent Battle novels, 5 Tommy & Tuppence Mystery and 5 standalones. (I also read a novelization of one of Christe's plays by Charles Osborne which I wish to forget.) I maybe mostly refer to Poirot and Miss Marple books since I read them the most. Here are some of my thoughts on Christie's books:

Opening Lines

Here are my three favorite opening lines from books:

01

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three."
— How's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

02

"The day my life changed began like most mornings - with a judgmental cat spirit." 
— Pahua and The Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee

03

"The story so far: In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
— The Restaurant At The End of The Universe by Douglas Adams

For more about the A-Z Challenge, go here.

Thursday Thirteen: Some favorite quotes

Here are some of my favorite amusing, serious, dumb, smart, honest and intriguing quotes/passages from books I read, shows and movies I watched and anywhere else I read from. Visit other people's list at Thursday Thirteen here.

01 - "Truth, however bitter, can be accepted, and woven into a design for living."
-  The Hollow by Agatha Christie

02 - "Which comes first yesterday or tomorrow? All we know is that what we think of as past, present and future is nothing more than a story stitched together in our basal ganglia. Our entire concept of time is an artificial construct."
- from the tv show Perception

03 - “I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.”
- The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe by Jane Wagner
 
04 - Two Girls: "How do you call yourself?"
Poirot: "Hercule Poirot."
Two Girls: "That's not a name, that's a noise."
- from the tv show Agatha Christie's Poirot

05 - "I don't obsess. I think, intensely."
- from the tv show Charmed, original version

06 - "I win not because I am a woman, because I am the boss."
- from the tv show The Six Million Dollar Man

07 - "For future reference: When I say I agree with you, it means I'm not listening."
- from the tv show Elementary

08 - “I wasn’t meant for reality, but life came and found me.”
- The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

09 - "When did we became adults? Even though we age, we still get flustered. We are still immature, we don't know much and we make a lot of mistakes. There are no adults in the world. Just children with wrinkles."
- from the Korean tv series, I do, I do

10 - “We had our breakfasts — whatever happens in a house, robbery or murder, it doesn't matter, you must have your breakfast.”
- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

11 - "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really well."
- from the tv show Parks and Recreation

12 - "When you're young you got time
When you're old, you've built a life
In between you're just along for the ride
Nothing's in a straight line
Like the wrinkles on your eyes
Try to take it one candle at a time
When we turn 96
With a smile on our lips
I'll have nothing left to wish"
- lyrics from Pictures by Matt Nathanson from the album Boston Accent

13 - "Everything ends, and it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's... always happy. Be happy."
- from the tv show Doctor Who

Some Favorite Book Dedications

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is Books with Geographical Terms in the Title (Submitted by Lisa of Hopewell) but I'm not doing that. I'm listing some favorite book dedications. There aren't that many creative dedications since most authors just named names. I have read every book on the list aside from #7, #9 and #10. For more Top Ten Tuesday, visit That Artsy Reader Girl here.

01 -

For my housekeeper Mrs. Cuttlefish who I buried in the garden (Book 1)
For my grandfather Plantagenet Krisp, who never saw it coming (Book 2)
For my benefactress, Gwendolyn Greystoke, who was kind enough to vanish at sea (Book 3)
—  Ivy Pocket Series by Caleb Krisp, Barbara Cantini (Illustrator)

02 -

To the monkey and the frog. For an eternity of ten thousand tales.
— My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologies (aka My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry) by Fredrik Backman, Translated by Henning Koch

03 -

For Boots and Sally and Alice and Gandolf, four very adventurous cats
— The Girl Who Sailed The Stars (aka The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator) by Matilda Woods with illustrations by Anuska Allepuz

04 -

To the heroine who saved me
— The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander

05 -

For all my students
past, present, and future
May we all meet in heaven café
writing for eternity.
— Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

06 -

For Larry and Danae
With apologies for using their swimming pool as the scene of a murder
— The Hollow by Agatha Christie

07 -

This book is dedicated to the voices in my head, the most remarkable of my friends. And to my wife, who lives with us.
— Anxious People by by Fredrik Backman, Translated by Neil Smith

08 -

For Sophie: look what you started.
— Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery 1) by Elizabeth C. Bunce

09 -

To my cat-loving son and his sister, whose first word was "rock." And, of course, to my husband, who applied to be an astronaut. See you on Mars.
— The Lions of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

10 - 

To everyone who would rather sit in a corner petting the dog than make conversations at a party: this one's for you
— Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Do you have any favorite book dedications?

Paperback Favorites

I usually read paperbacks even when given a choice of hardcovers. Anyway, here are some of my favorite paperbacks in alphabetical order.

01 - Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte > link
What's it about: home, teaching, growing up, faith
Favorite Passage: "All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut. Whether this be the case with my history or not, I am hardly competent to judge; I sometimes think it might prove useful to some, and entertaining to others, but the world may judge for itself; shielded by my own obscurity, and by the lapse of years, and a few fictitious names, I do not fear to venture, and will candidly lay before the public what I would not disclose to the most intimate friend."

02 - The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery > link
What's it about: marriage, love, life, belonging
Favorite Passage: "You see — I've never had any real life", she said. "I've just — breathed."

03 - Gathering the Water by Robert Edric > link
What's it about: water, grief, home, future
Favorite Passage: "Starting anew, I began to discern the light and the landmarks of the possible future. There was a time in between, of course — a period of confusion in which life went on and I acted out my part within it — but it was never starting anew, never a rebirth, merely a succession of lesser endings, during which I severed my ties one after another — my family, my work, my connection to Helen's family, to her sister, to my colleagues, and finally upon reaching the shapeless centre of that darkness, my hopes and expectations for the future."

04 - Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver > link
What's it about: ghost, grief, home, magic
Favorite Passage: “The Other Side was a busy place — as busy, if not busier, than the Living Side. They ran parallel, the two words, like two mirrors sitting face-to-face, but normally Po was only dimly aware of the Living Side. It was a swirl of colors to the ghost's left; a sudden explosion of sounds to its right; a dim impression of warmth and movement.”

05 - Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber > link
What's it about: postcards, grief, travels, neurotic dreams
Favorite Passage: "The postcard is everything, but looks like nothing. An inconsequential sheet of pressed pulp decorated with a few drops of ink, it barely exists in the physical realm. But this one has got hold of something inside me that feels like forever. I follow the looping lines that make up Zoe's penmanship, the soaring arcs and inky swirls. I try to understand the true implications of her words, the hidden message behind the surface one. What a ridiculous phrase: wish you were here."

06 - Snow hunters by Paul Yoon > link
What's it about: reborn, orphans, home, family
Favorite Passage: "He thought of these years as another life within the one he had. As though it were a thing he was able to carry. A small box. A handkerchief. A stone. He did not understand how a life could vanish. How that was even possible. How it could close in an instant before you could reach inside one last time, touch someone's hand one last time. How there would come a day when no one would wonder about the life he had before this one."

07 - Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell > link
What's it about: family, marriage, gossips, relationships, love
Favorite Passage: "I daresay it seems foolish; perhaps all our earthly trials will appear foolish to us after a while; perhaps they seem so now to angels. But we are ourselves, you know, and this is now, not some time to come, a long, long way off. And we are not angels to be comforted by seeing the ends for which everything is sent."

For more about Blogging from A to Z Challenge, click on the image above or go here.

Favorite Things Characters Have Said

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is Memorable Things Characters Have Said (quotes from book characters that have stuck with you). This list is in no particular order but number 9 and 10 are my ultimate favorites. Some of these are not direct quotes from characters, more like thoughts, which I think it's almost the same thing.

01 |

“My heart is too thoroughly dried to be broken in a hurry, and I mean to live as long as I can.”
— The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

02 |

“We had our breakfasts — whatever happens in a house, robbery or murder, it doesn't matter, you must have your breakfast.”
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

03 |

"I did, as a child, think of New York as a kind of temporary station, and a temporary life where I never wanted anything, or pretended to not want anything, hiding that desire for a new bicycle or a comic book for that elsewhere we would most certainly end up in."
— The Mountain, from the story, Milner Field by Paul Yoon

04 |

"I'm too bookish for prison!"
— The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas

05 |

“I don't know. I don't know anything, really. I just feel. And when the feeling is strong enough, then I just say I know. But I don't...” 

— A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

06 |

"I'm a huge, hulking monster with anger management issues. I'm contractually obligated to encourage violence and anarchy on principle."
— Beast Charming by Jenniffer Wardell

07 |

"I trust you to find the good in me, but the bad I must be sure you don't overlook."
— Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

08 |

“I have been tolerably well educated.”
— Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

09 |

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence."
— Sherlock Holmes, from the story, The Red-Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

10 |

"You see — I've never had any real life. I've just — breathed."
— The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

What are you some of your favorite quotes, whether from characters from books or just things you remember from books?

For more Top Ten Tuesdays, visit That Artsy Reader Girl here.

Books I Read in September 2021 - Part 2

Here are the rest of the books I read in September.  (Click on the link for info about the book.)

01 | The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas > link
This reminds me of The Little Prince, similar tone, similar way of writing but it's written in first person (an eleven-year-old Stella) but directed toward her father which is kind of unusual but it seems to work. I enjoyed the beginning but then it just seems a bit slow and you kind of know where it was going. Summary: I like the idea of the story and I kind of want it to be fun and quirky and there were those moments but I guess in the end, it's a book about someone grieving so there's a bit of sadness there that somehow overrides a little of the fun and quirkiness. I enjoyed reading this but a little less at the end. Favorite quote: "I'm too bookish for prison!"

02 | The Last Human by Lee Bacon > link
It was the cover that made me want to read this plus I thought I should read more science fiction and since this involves robots, it made me want to read it. Although I did think the narrator, who is a robot, sounded and behaved too much like a human but maybe that is the point. Summary: This was sort of a familiar read and I sort of know what's going to happen but it was still fun.

03 | Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim > link
This is a standalone but if you didn't see the Disney movie Mulan (the animation, not the live action), I'm not sure you would enjoy this as much. But if you know the story of Mulan, then maybe it's enough. They did sort of give you some of the back story about Mulan here and there. The book starts with a scene from the movie and it detours to a new story. I love the movie so I was expecting much of the same thing but with a slightly darker tone as it mostly takes place in the underworld aka diyu (aka hell). There's Mulan, still pretending to be a man, there's Captain Li Shang and some of the soldiers but the story is just Mulan, Shang and Shishi (Shang's guardian) trying to get through diyu so there really isn't much to the storyline but we did get to learn a few things along the way. Summary: This was a good read though I think the challenges Mulan had to face keep piling up and at times, it seems like the book should have ended but it didn't. It has a happy ending which I had expected. This is actually not as twisted as the title implies, more like a light read. I enjoyed this more than I had expected. I think I would read the sequel if there was one.

Books I Read in September 2021 - Part 1

I've read a lot in September and most of them seems to be series. I honestly try not to read book series because I find I don't really like them unless they are short books. Anyway, here are the books that I read in September that are part of a series.  (Click on the link for info about the book.)

01 | A Problematic Paradox and The Unspeakable Unknown (Nikola Kross) by Eliot Sappingfield > link1, link 2
Some reviewers compared this to Harry Potter and yes, there's a school with some things that are almost like magic but this is more science and technology than magic and it's more fun. The classes Nikola attended are a lot of fun, although, the idea that you might get seriously injured might have dampened my thoughts of wanting to attend such school - it's really not for the weak or the dumb. I don't always understand the science and technology talk but I appreciate they are included. Sometimes I forget Nikola wears glasses as they rarely mention this but I really like that she's a bit of a nerd. Summary: This duology are crazy, wacky, slightly creepy, kind of nerdy, fun reads. These are probably the most fun books I had read this year.

Favorite quote from The Unspeakable Unknown, Chapter 17:
"I'm employing tedium and diversion to occupy myself in order to avoid frank consideration of harsh realities. Besides, being murdered tomorrow will pretty much render the issue of long-term emotional development completely moot, so who cares?"

Books Guaranteed to Put a Frown On Your Face

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile On Your Face. Somehow I just don't feel like making such list today. So I'm going to do the opposite - Books Guaranteed to Put a Frown On Your Face or what I originally titled, Sad book recommendation for happy people. These are also some of my favorite books. These books don't end well, that is, they are not happy ever after endings. If you read these and they make you cry, pretend I didn't recommend you these books.

Eight Books Guaranteed to Put a Frown On Your Face

01 | The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw > link
Sorrowful, surreal, charming, though the situation is dire and the ending is extremely sad.
Sadness Rating (5 being the most sad): 5
Favorite Quote: "She was being shut down, paralyzed, physical avenues cordoned off. Thank goodness, she thought, she had done what she had when she had. She had waded in the Ganges, felt downy snow fill her mouth in the Alps, breathed deep to get the last of the oxygen from the high altitude of mountains. Swum. She had once swum."

02 | Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon > link
A story that starts kind of sad and ended kind of sad but there are some bits of hope there too.
Sadness Rating: 4
Favorite Quote: "He thought of these years as another life within the one he had. As though it were a thing he was able to carry. A small box. A handkerchief. A stone. He did not understand how a life could vanish. How that was even possible. How it could close in an instant before you could reach inside one last time, touch someone's hand one last time. How there would come a day when no one would wonder about the life he had before this one."

03 | Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber > link
It's a dramedy of sorts. There may be some sadness involved that the reader may or may not be surprised by.
Sadness Rating: 3 and a half
Favorite Quote: "Because the happy moment was lasting all day long. It was an endless happy moment, an inexplicable thing I didn't trust - something so extraordinary and awesome that only a complicated, paranoid evil plot could balance out the universe."

04 | Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens > link
This is a little depressing in that there aren't that many things to be happy about there are some optimism here especially with the Amy Dorrit character. I may have been a little bit influenced by the mini-tv series with Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen as I still can clearly see these two actors in the roles of Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennam. This ends with a happy ending, it's really not as depressing as I made it sounded.
Sadness Rating: 4 and a half
Favorite Quote: "At first in the chair before the gone-out fire, and then turned round wondering to see her, was the gentleman whom she sought. The brown, grave, gentleman, who smiled so pleasantly, who was so frank and considerate in his manner, and yet in whose earnestness there was something that reminded her of his mother, with the great difference that she was earnest in asperity and he in gentleness. Now he regarded her with that attentive and enquiring look before which Little Dorrit's eyes had always fallen, and before which they fell still."

05 | The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro > link
He had to sacrifice certain things and maybe it's sad in that regard but he's fulfilling his life's work and maybe there is joy in that.
Sadness Rating: 3
Favorite Quote: “I do not think I responded immediately, for it took me a moment or two to fully digest these words of Miss Kenton. Moreover, as you might appreciate, their implications were such as to provoke a certain degree of sorrow within me. Indeed - why should I not admit it? - at that moment, my heart was breaking.”

06 | The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman > link
It's a sad love story with a sad ending but not tragic or depressing but just slightly near it. I do sort of see this as a happy ending.
Sadness Rating: 3 and a half
Favorite Quote: “How could I tell the doctor what was wrong with me? I didn't understand it myself. I couldn't articulate the pain; it was the pain of nothingness. My fear was of the weather, the atmosphere, the very air. What good did safety tips do me now? Avoid water, metal objects, rooftops; stay off the telephone in a storm, don't think glass can protect you; even if a storm was 8 miles away, you're still not safe from a strike. Avoid life perhaps that was the answer. The number one safety tip. Stay away from it all.”

07 | The Book Thief by Markus Zusak > link
I don't usually like reading books about war or stories set during a war because there is guaranteed death and sadness but I almost loved this book and it was quite more enjoyable than I expected even though there's one character that I really wish didn't die.
Sadness Rating: 4
Favorite Quote: "I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race — that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."

08 | Gathering the Water by Robert Edric > link
To describe this book I guess would be one man's way of dealing with sadness and tragic losses. There was one scene that talked about what someone would to do to conquer a tsunami and the person sent arrows against the waves which sounds silly but how would one conquer water that is coming at you, ready to destroy you when you have no other resources other than an army of people with arrows?
Sadness Rating: 5
Favorite Quote: "Starting anew, I began to discern the light and the landmarks of the possible future. There was a time in between, of course — a period of confusion in which life went on and I acted out my part within it — but it was never starting anew, never a rebirth, merely a succession of lesser endings, during which I severed my ties one after another — my family, my work, my connection to Helen's family, to her sister, to my colleagues, and finally upon reaching the shapeless centre of that darkness, my hopes and expectations for the future."

What sad books would you recommend or do you prefer books that are happy and optimistic?

For more Top Ten Tuesdays, visit That Artsy Reader Girl here.

Favorite Quote #1

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence."
— From the story, The Red-Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle